18
Location: Amritsar
We began our day with a long car ride to Amritsar. It lasted probably four and a half hours, mostly through rural areas. It was nice to look out the windows because it was a completely different landscape from that of Dharamsala. Most of us spent the time either sleeping or listening to music. We arrived at the Golden Tulip Hotel, ate a late lunch and then got ready for the Golden Temple, a Sikh temple in the city. We went during the evening, and it was cloudy, so it was cooler outside and less crowded. When we arrived, we all waded through pools of water to clean off our feet and then headed to the temple. All of us were amazed at the outside of the temple, and I think we were all unprepared for the beautiful inside.
The temple is located in the middle of a holy lake and completely covered in gold. There were many people kneeling and praying all around us. All of the buildings around the actual temple are white and truly stunning. There is chanting music playing everywhere, adding to the very specific atmosphere of it all. We got to walk into the temple and see people praying and where they keep the holy book. I cannot accurately tell you how beautiful the temple was, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so you should look at our pictures! After we went to the temple, we went to the kitchen where they feed the needy and anyone who visits the Temple. We were told that they feed 100,000 people there on a busy weekend day. After seeing the enormous pots, they offered us tea. I think that being able to say that you were fed at the Golden Temple is pretty cool.